1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved communication device. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a computer implemented method and computer usable program code in a communication device for automatically notifying a plurality of contacts of a telephone number change and tracking actions taken by each of the plurality of contacts in response to receiving the notification of the telephone number change.
2. Description of the Related Art
Innovations in communications technologies have made a wide range of enhanced communications services available to a user. For example, a user may dial a telephone number at the press of a key by using speed-dialing, retrieve a telephone number for a missed call, view a telephone number of an incoming call on a display by using caller identification (caller ID), and send or retrieve a voice message by using voice mail. A communications provider often provides these services through a network such as an intelligent services network (ISN) that is privately owned but that works in conjunction with the public switched telephone network (PSTN). These services also may be offered by a dedicated device, such as a telephone with advanced electronics or a telephone answering machine, located at the user's premises.
However, one problem associated with current communications technologies is that there is no way for a user of a communication device to automatically inform all the contacts contained within a contact list of a telephone number change for the user's communication device. Presently, after changing the telephone number of a communication device, a user may become concerned that contacts within the user's contact list may not be aware of the telephone number change. Consequently, the user worries about missing important telephone calls from contacts that are not aware of the telephone number change. Currently, because there is no way to automatically notify contacts of the telephone number change, the user must individually dial each telephone number in the contact list to disseminate the new telephone number to the contacts. This process of manually dialing all the telephone numbers in the contact list is very tedious and time consuming.
In addition, the user may not immediately connect with a contact on the first try. As a result, the user may leave a voice message in a voice mailbox or on an answering machine message, but only if either of these two options is available. If the user is not able to leave a voice message, or simply does not want to leave a voice message, the user must remember to call that contact again later. Further, if the user is able to leave a voice message regarding the telephone number change, the user has no way of knowing whether the contact received the voice message or if the contact wants the new number.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to have an improved computer implemented method and computer usable program code in a communication device for automatically notifying a plurality of contacts of a telephone number change and tracking actions taken by each of the plurality of contacts in response to receiving the notification of the telephone number change.